Abstract
An: 2011, Nr.4, Articol Nr. 23
Title: 
MAJOR COMPLICATIONS IN INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS – ANATOMOPATHOLOGIC ASPECTS OF TARGETED ORGANS ON A COHORT OF 42 PATIENTS
Authors: 
M.E. Hurmuzache - University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases
MAJOR COMPLICATIONS IN INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS – ANATOMOPATHOLOGIC ASPECTS OF TARGETED ORGANS ON A COHORT OF 42 PATIENTS (Abstract): Defined as infection of the endocardial surface of the heart, infective endocarditis (IE) remains, despite important advances in diagnosis and treatment, one of the most lifethreatening infection due to various major cardiac and extracardiac complications. 42 patients with fatal IE were elected from a cohort of 868 cases admitted between 1995 and 2008 in three hospital services in Iasi, Romania. These patients had no known previous heart affections and had complete data regarding investigations, incriminated etiological agent and necroptic, micro-and macroscopic results. The central aim of this retrospective study was to establish a correlation between data obtained and those found in medical literature with possible particularities through unfavorable evolution in our area. There were found some characteristics of the studied group related with age, type of endocarditis (acute/subacute), major complications and changing in etiological spectrum (e.g. lower age of death, still higher rate of fatal subacute IE, low rate of diagnosed previous heart disfunctions and for cardiac surgery in complicated forms). Most affected organs, leading to fatal IE were heart, brain and lungs, mostly due to embolization and infarcts. There was also observed higher rates in mitral localization compared with data from literature and higher percents of death caused by infarction. Correlation of data, obtained both intravitam and necroptic, should be useful for a better monitoring of this severe disease.
Key words: INFECTIVE – ENDOCARDITIS, FATAL COMPLICATIONS, ORGANS LESIONS